1st of all this is my 1st post, been looking at the site for help on selecting a lawnmower. I ended up going with a 2006 Ferris IS 1500 48" which was a demo unit with very low hrs at a local dealer (about 1.1 hrs on it), which I got this past wkend.

Anyway, I wanted a zero turn b/c my lawn has a lot of trees on it but the problem I'm having is that I have a couple of steep slopes to negotiate. I do approach them going sideways but the problem I'm having is when I go to make a turn to do the next row, it causes the ZTR to lose traction and slide down the slope (problem is there is a creek at the bottom of the slope and I often come close enough to get the tires sinking in the soft adjacent land and it takes a lot of maneuvering to get out. So 1st of all, any advice on technique to avoid this? Are there upgrades in tires that I might have a better chance holding ground.

Also, I've attempted going up the hill straight on and can see the front tires lift off (immediately chicken out and reverse) The dealer said there is a guard that prevents you tipping end over end (has anyone tested this out and is it true). I do have a seatbelt on as well as the roll bar but I still rather not find out the hard way that it can be tipped over.

Of the machine itself, really beautiful, looks solidly built. On the flat areas you can run it top speed and it still cuts great. Suspension really makes this a fun machine to run (especially since I have a lot of uneven terrain). I ended up getting lights and hitch as accessories. Using this solely to cut my own lawn (about 2 1/2 acres).

Thanks

jugdishoh1

05-24-2006, 11:01 AM

Any help would be appreciated. Thanks! :)

Restrorob

05-24-2006, 07:04 PM

You may try posting this here; http://www.lawnsite.com/forumdisplay.php?f=1 You would probably get all kinds of response. But change your title to something like; Help, Need tips on mowing slopes, And drop the last paragraph.

Good Luck

wushaw

05-24-2006, 10:45 PM

I know how you feel on slopes I have a couple myself some with water at the bottom and some without, I keep my ZTR away from the ones with water and use a rider or push mower.
Make sure your air pressure is set low 8-10psi for better traction. The bigger the tires the better the traction/stability.
You may look into getting bar tires since they seem better in traction than the turf.

Larry Davis

05-28-2006, 10:53 AM

I'm sure your new Ferris is an excellent piece of equipment, however, no ZTR can be called "great on steep slopes, hills, etc.". I run Exmarks and Hustlers and from my experience here's what I have learned as general rules to follow when trying to mow anything fairly steep.
#1. For ZTR's - do not mow sideways! Start at the bottom and mow straight up and then BACK your ZTR all the way to the bottom and then straight up again. Using this procedure you can safely mow inclines that you would slide on if you tried to mow sideways.
#2. For Walkbehinds - exactly the opposite is true. Only mow sideways, never up and down.